Fruit-evaporator.



No. 536,245. Patented Nov. 7,1899.

B. CUNNINGHAM.

FRUIT EVAPORATOR.

(Application filed May 24, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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'No. 636,245 Patented Nov. 7, I899.

B. CUNNINGHAM. 7

FRUIT EVAPORATOB.

(Application filed May 24, 1899.),

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2,

In: News PETERS co. PHOTQ-LIYHKL, WAQHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Urrrcn.

BRUCE CUNNINGHAM, OF LIBERTY, OREGON.

FRUlT-EVAPORATO R.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,245, datedNovember 7, 1899.

Application filed May 24:, 1892. Serial No- 7l8,099. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it ntcty concern.- Be it known that I, BRUCE CUNNINGHAM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Liberty, in the county ofMarion and State of Oregon,have invented a new and useful Fruit-Evaporator, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fruit-evaporators.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofthat class of fruitevaporators in which the trays are introduced at thetop and removed from the bottom and to provide a simple, inexpensive,and eflicient device adapted to lift the stack from the bottom tray, sothat the latter may be removed, examined, and replaced, if necessary.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional View of an evaporatorconstructed in accordance with this invention. Figs. 2 and 3 arevertical sectional views of the lower portion of the evaporator, takenat right angles to Fig. 1 and showing the automatic dog in and out ofengagement with the trays. Fig. 4: is a detail view illustrating theconstruction of the operating-lever.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a casing receiving a stack of trays 2 and provided withupper doors 3 and 4 and a lower door 5, through the door-opening ofwhich the bottom tray of the stack is removed. Within the casing isarranged a vertically-movable frame or cage 6, composed of vertical bars'7, arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the casing and operating inways formed by top, bottom, and intermediate guides 8, 9, and 10, andthe guides 9 and 10 serve to close the space between the stack of traysand the sides of the casing, whereby the heat is prevented from passingaround the sides of the trays and is caused to pass through the latter.The upper guides 8, which consist of blocks or pieces, are recessed attheir inner sides, the recesses terminating short of the tops of theguides to provide stops for limiting the upward movement of the frame orcage. The frame or cage is strengthened at its top by cross-braces 11and horizontal bars 12, which are connected by a central bar 13. Theframe or cage is moved vertically by a hoisting rope or cable 14,secured at one end to the centrally-arranged bar 13 and passing overupper guide pulleys or sheaves 15 and 16, preferably mounted in adiagonally-disposed supporting-bar 16 and located at the center and oneof the outer corners of the casing. The lower end of the rope or cableis connected with an operatinglever 17 by a link 18, which straddles thefulcrumed end of the lever and is adapted to prevent buckling o rtwisting of the parts when the operating-lever is swung downward toelevate the stack. The end 19 of the operating-lever is curved or bowedoutward, as shown, and is perforated for the reception of a pivot 20,extending laterally from one end of the bracket or plate 21 and providedwith a removable key 22, whereby the operating-lever is detachablymounted on the bracket or plate. The operating-lever is secured in itslower position when swung downward to elevate the stack by being engagedwith a hook 23, and the bracket or plate 21, which is secured to thecasing by bolts 24 or other suitable fastening devices, is provided withslots 25 for the reception of the same, whereby it is adapted to beadjusted to take up any slack of the cable. The lower end of the bracketor plate is bent outward to offset the pivot and the fulc ruined end ofthe operating-lever from the casing.

The stack is lifted to permit the bottom tray to be removed through thedoor 5 by means of automatic dogs 26, pivoted between their ends at 27on the lower portions of the lifting-bars 7 of the vertically-movableframe.- The lower portion of the dog 26 is enlarged to weight it at thatpoint, whereby the upper engaging portion 28 is automatically thrownoutward and held out of engagement with the trays when the lifting-barsarelowered. The engaging portion 28 of the dog is substantially L-shapedand provided with a horizontal pin 29, and the inward and outwardmovement or pivotal action of the dog is limited by a stop 30, mountedon the lifting-bar at a point above the pivot of the dog and locatedWithin a recess 31 of the latter. The recess 31 forms inner and outershoulders,and when the outer shoulder is in engagement with the stop thedogs provide rigid supports for the stack and are adapted to sustain theweight of the same.

IVhen the lifting-bars are elevated, the dogs remain out of engagementwith the trays a sufficient length of time to clear the bottom one andengage the tray neXt to the bottom, such inward movement of the dogsbeing effected by means of stationary wedge-shaped shifting devices 32,having tapering lower ends arranged to engage the lateral projections orpins 29. The trays are provided with recesses 33, located at their upperportions and adapted to permit the engaging upper ends of the dogs tomove inward beneath the traynext to the bottom of the stack, and thereis sufficient space between the shifting devices 32 and the stack topermit the pins to move vertically with the stack. The weight of thestack resting upon the engaging portions of the dogs is suflicient toprevent them from accidentally swinging outward; but as soon as thestack is lowered after the removal of the bottom tray the dogs will beautomatically swung outward by their weighted lower portions.

Each tray is provided at each side with an opening 34, in which isarranged one end of a stretching device 35, tapered from its center toeach end and presenting oppositely-inclined upper edges 36. This strip,which has a straight lower edge, is placed in the frame of the tray inan inverted position before the wire is applied, and after the tray iscomplete it is partially rotated to bow the wire upward, whereby thewire is stretched and prevented from sagging. The upwardly bowed orarched bottom of the trayis adapted to spread the fruit as it is placedupon the said bottom, and the latter cannot interfere with the upperpassage of the hot air, like a downwardly bulged or sagging bottom. Thesides of the trays preferably consist of three strips, the lower onebeing bored across its upper face at the center to provide the openings34:.

The invention has the following advantages: The dogs, which are positiveand automatic in their operation, are adapted when the lifting-bars areraised to clear the lowermost tray and lift the stack therefrom, therebyfreeing the bottom tray and permitting the same to be inspected,removed, and replaced, if necessary. The tapering shifting devicesengage the laterally-disposed pins of the dogs and swing the latterinward, and the weighted lower portions of the dogs'disengage the samefrom the stack when the pressure is removed after the stack is lowered.The trays have their bottoms bowed upwardly and stretched, and thetapering stretching device prevents the bottoms from sagging andinterfering with the passage of the hot air. Also the bottoms by beingbowed upward are adapted to distribute the fruit as it is placed in thetrays.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages ofthis invention.

\Vhat is claimed is- 1. In an apparatus of the class described, thecombination of the vertically-movable lift-bars, gravity-dogs pivotallymounted on the lift-bars,and normally swung to aposition out ofengagement with the trays, and a stationary shifting device separatefrom the liftbars and cooperating with the gravity-dogs, to permit themto clear the bottom tray and to be forced into engagement with the nextsucceeding tray, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of thevertically-movable lift-bars, gravity-dogs pivotally mounted on thelift-bars, and provided at one side of their pivots with weightedportions, and at the opposite sides of the pivots with engaging points,and a stationary shifting device separate from the lift-bars, andarranged above the dogs to cooperate therewith and permit them to clearthe bottom tray and be forced into engagement with the next succeedingtray, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising a lift or bar, a dogpivotally mounted thereon and having a weighted lower end and anengaging upper end, and a tapering shifting device located above the dogand adapted to permit the same to clear the bottom tray of the stack,substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a vertically-removable baror lift, a dog pivotally mounted thereon and provided with a weightedlower portion and having a recess or opening, astop mounted on the liftor bar and arranged in the recess or opening to limit the movement ofthe dog, and a shifting device arranged to permit the dog to clear thebottom tray of the stack, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a lift or bar, a dogpivotally mounted thereon and having a projection or pin, and a taperingshifting device presenting an inclined face arranged to be engaged bythe pin or projection, whereby the dog is permitted to clear the bottomtray of a stack, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BRUCE CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

H. A. JOHNSON, FRED. HURST.

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